It seems to me that there have been a lot of incidents/deaths during marathons. Most recently in the Detroit Free Press/Flagstar Marathon. We’re not talking about unhealthy individuals either. You have to figure that some amount of training was done for these races. Age isn’t the issue either. One runner was 26 and the others were 35 and 65.

I was trying to wrap my brain around this on one of my runs. I searched a bunch of things and come up with this explanation (or closest thing I could find): Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA).

In an article by the PR Newswire, “Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association Says Deaths of Three Detroit Marathon Runners Underscore Need for More Public Awareness,” it is said that nearly 300,000 U.S. deaths can be attributed to SCA each year. With the growing popularity of marathons and half marathons, you have to figure that we’re going to SCA come into play more and more each year.

As reported in Tara Parker-Pope’s blog “Are Marathons Safe?” on the New York Times website, death’s during marathons are rare (0.8 per 100,000) in comparison to triathlons (1.5 per 100,000), dying from diabetes (23 per 100,000) and dying in a car accident (1 per 6,700). But that doesn’t make it right.

As runners, we consider ourselves healthy just by the nature of what we are and what we do. This isn’t always the case though. I urge you to have yearly physicals and listen to your doctor’s advice. You can’t tell if your cholesterol is off the charts (trust me, I know). If you do get physicals, good for you. Now take it a step further and make sure you mention it to your running partner, running organization and friends. Let’s spread the word and keep runners running and not lying flat on their backs.

RMFR

Immediately after my run I can’t eat anything. Even on my long run’s – when all I do is daydream about what I’m having for breakfast – I can’t eat. Since proteins are needed for muscle recovery and growth, I started drinking protein drinks. Before my turn to the greener side of the force I used to rely on whey protein powders. After seeing how much cholesterol whey contained, I switched to soy. Being a vegetarian, I’m always looking for sources of protein. Soy protein is low in fat, has NO cholesterol and may reduce the risk of heart disease. Throw in some Metamucil (for lowering cholesterol and fiber) and I’m good to go.

ORB Vanilla Orange Protein Drink

• 12 oz. skim milk
• 1 ice cube
• 1 scoop (42 g) of EAS Soy Protein powder
• 1 rounded Tbsp (12g) of Orange Metamucil

Combine the above in a drink mixer and enjoy. It tastes a lot like a orange creamsicle (the closest I’m going to get to one). If you try it, let us know what you think!!!

OK, I’m a month into my vegetarian life change. While there are many people that think a vegetarian diet and running don’t make great stable mates – let me personally say they’re wrong. I’ve haven’t felt this good or had this much energy in a long, long time. On top of that, I dropped 15 pounds in the same amount of time and it just keeps falling off.

There is a really informational article dispelling the myths of a vegetarian diet and running (in this case triathletes). I’ve tried to cover my bases by taking vitamin supplements and making sure I get enough iron but I have nothing but rave reviews so far.

I always thought I was a very informed and conscious eater – until I actually started looking at nutrition labels. You’d think being a son of a dietician that I would have learned this lesson years ago or inherited some sort of nutrition gene but unfortunately no. It took a doctor slapping me around while looking at my blood tests before the alarm bells went off. The craziest thing I discovered was that my whey protein drink was a cholesterol nightmare wrapped in a time bomb covered with barbed wire. I’ve now switched to a soy based protein drink and I’m back into the good graces of my blood vessels.

Being a vegetarian isn’t easy. The looks I get from my meat loving friends and strangers eyeing my salads aren’t easy to deflect. With a little stubbornness and support from my wife, the transition is complete – and I’m loving every salad loving moment of it.

So, you started running to get healthy. Dropped a few pounds, lowered your heart rate and you don’t lose your breath coming up the stairs anymore. Feels good doesn’t it! If you continue to run and cross train, you’re in the clear right? WRONG!

I’ve fallen into this trap. Didn’t even think about. The first year I started running, I lost 65 pounds and felt on top of the world. I was able to get myself off anxiety medication and my heart rate and blood pressure were things of legend among local nurses (I actually had a nurse take my pulse three times because she couldn’t believe it was so low). I was the definition of health – I run. Of course, there was that one thing I didn’t do…

Blood work. Who likes to fast and then go get 2 liters of blood taken out of their arm? I certainly didn’t. I could always find an excuse not to go do it too. Work, sleep, kids, it’s a long run day, it didn’t matter what the excuse was, I would find a way out – I run. This year was a different story. First, my wife can be very persuasive and secondly, my doctor ripped me a new one for skipping my previous tests. After receiving a letter from my doctor to come get my results, I humbly returned with my head between my knees – I knew this was going to get ugly. There had to be something wrong but why – I run.

My family has a history of high cholesterol. I knew it but rejected the notion because I’m a runner – I run. I watch what I eat, I don’t eat a lot and that’s a bunch of bull. While I had fooled my brain to believe these things (and others) I like many others is prone to snacking and eating when I feel like it because – I run. It all accumulated into a giant ball of shame and fright last Friday when I was told my cholesterol levels were dangerously high. It can’t be – I run.

I am writing to you today to ask you, no beg you to go get yearly physicals. Don’t skip your blood work and follow through with your results. If I continued down my same path, there’s a good chance one of my “long runs” could have been longer than I (or my family) had EVER planned.

Don’t be fooled like I was. Just because you run doesn’t give you a free pass on the healthy train. It sure doesn’t hurt but it’s not the only thing. I’m back on track and hope to be running for a very, very long time.

I run.